Burkina Faso mobilizes one million citizens for crisis response
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In Burkina Faso, the National Volunteer Program (GIP-PNV) began recruiting one million national volunteer reservists on September 25, 2026, to support responses to health emergencies, natural disasters, and humanitarian crises.
The program will enlist 200,000 volunteers each year. These reservists will work alongside existing public services, including defense forces, emergency services, and healthcare professionals, providing additional support without replacing them.
Volunteers will contribute to areas like sanitation, environmental protection, community infrastructure maintenance, social cohesion, and supporting public services in areas regaining stability. Djourmité Nestor Noufé, the director general of GIP-PNV, emphasized that the program will focus on community-level engagement, particularly with young people. Alongside the main reservist program, GIP-PNV launched “Volontariat senior,” an initiative to recruit experienced retirees and professionals. The senior volunteers will share their expertise with younger professionals and organizations.
A pilot program will begin with seven senior volunteers in entrepreneurship and fifteen in healthcare, with plans to coach thirty-five project creators in Ziniaré. Healthcare volunteers will collaborate with the Saint-Camille hospital in Ouagadougou, focusing on maternal and neonatal health, cancer screening, and metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.
